With hackers taking aim at America’s electric grid, including nuclear plants, Maine’s two senators are pushing legislation they hope will keep the lights on. “Time is running out” to improve the system, said U.S. Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee. “It’s vital that we act now to bolster […]
electricity
Posted inMaine
LePage signs measure aimed at reducing electricity costs for some
AUGUSTA — A proposal to let consumers compare electricity costs from different providers more easily secured the signature of Gov. Paul LePage to become law Tuesday. “This new law includes common-sense protections that will keep Mainers from getting ripped off by unscrupulous companies,” said its sponsor, Sen. Nate Libby, D-Lewiston. Libby, the assistant minority leader, […]
advertisement
Posted inMaine
Libby seeks to offer more info to electricity consumers
AUGUSTA — Hoping to provide more information to consumers about the price they pay for electricity, state Sen. Nate Libby is pushing a measure to give greater protection to people who may be paying too much. “This bill is a big deal,” the Lewiston Democrat said. “It will help customers be better informed about their […]
Posted inUncategorized
Green power advocates press regulators to adopt solar-friendly rules
AUGUSTA — Solar power advocates are asking Maine utility regulators to reconsider a recent ruling they say will crimp the growth of a much-needed new energy source. A coalition of critics filed a formal petition Tuesday with the Maine Public Utilities Commission calling on it to take another look at its decision to phase out […]
Posted inBusiness
Maine program’s cozy relationship to electricity supplier raises concerns
GARDINER — Town Finance Director Denise Brown knows how to shop for a bargain. Budgets here are always tight, and Brown prides herself on stretching the dollars of the city’s 5,800 taxpayers as far as she can. But shopping for electricity is always a headache. “I’m just not an electricity gal,” she said. “I don’t […]
Posted inBusiness
Value of quasi-state electricity program called into question
AUGUSTA — After a scandal at the Maine Turnpike Authority in 2011 landed its director in prison on theft charges, Maine lawmakers in both parties vowed to increase supervision of such quasi-state agencies. Operating on behalf of the public but managed more like private businesses, these agencies are a challenge for lawmakers to oversee and evaluate. Five […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Maine
Gov. Paul LePage pushes for cheaper electricity
Taking aim at green power initiatives that raise energy costs, Gov. Paul LePage said in his weekly radio address Wednesday that Maine consumers deserve a break. “Decades of corruption, poor decision-making and wealthy special interests controlling Augusta” have left the state shouldering higher-than-necessary costs for energy, the governor said, a legacy he claims crimps business […]
Posted inBusiness
How electricity providers siphoned more than $20 million from customers
Melissa Peirce and her husband circled their rural Charleston home, hunting for evidence of an electricity thief. Their power bill had more than tripled, and they suspected a cheat was tapping into their power lines. But they found no suspicious wires, and no signs of a filcher. “We live in the middle of nowhere,” Peirce […]
Posted inBusiness
State Sen. Mike Thibodeau looks to cap Maine electric rates
AUGUSTA — An effort to cap electric rates in Maine at 10 cents a kilowatt hour or less will be voted on by the Legislature’s Energy Committee on Tuesday. But the bill, LD 1339, authored by Senate President Michael Thibodeau, R-Winterport, also calls for the suspension of the state’s renewable energy portfolio requirements if suppliers […]
Posted inMaine
Wind power proponents tout study showing positive impacts for Maine
AUGUSTA — Proponents of Maine’s wind-power industry Tuesday touted a new study showing positive impacts on health and the environment from the industry’s growth in the state. Meanwhile, a bill before the Legislature aims to “dismantle” the state’s wind energy sector, according to those who testified against the bill, also on Tuesday. “This study confirms […]